Apple to open third Beijing retail store on Saturday

Apple's flagship store in Beijing. Photo: AFP/Gou Yige

A new Apple store opening in Beijing brings the number of stores in that city to three and the number of stores in mainland China to six.

According to the company's updated Chinese store website, the Wangfujing store in the Dongcheng district, Beijing, will be opening its doors to the public at 9am on Saturday, October 20.

The opening will bring the total number of Apple Stores in mainland China up to six. It currently also has three in Shanghai plus two in Hong Kong, the most recent of which, at Kowloon's Festival Walk, was only officially opened in September, plus one under construction. Located at Causeway Bay's Hysan Place mall, it is expected to be ready within the next 12 months.

China is already Apple's second biggest market after the US and, according to the company's results for the first quarter of 2012, accounted for $7.9 billion or 20 percent of total revenues and this market share is growing. In 2010, China represented 4.5 percent of total revenues and by 2014, if growth continues at this rate, China will overtake the US as Apple's most important territory.